Wringing apparatus for floor mops



April 7, 1970 P. E. Foss ErAL 3,504,393

WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Filed Dec. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1F2 I I INVENTORS Pena E. Foss ALFRED H WARNER BY mai jdM-l wm ATTORNEYApril 7, 1970 F055 ETAL 3,504,393

WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Filed Dec. 14, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS Penn: 5. F035 BY Awken H. WARNER an- M/JJM Adam ATTORNEYUnited States Patent Ofifice 3,504,393 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 3,504,393WRINGING APPARATUS FOR FLOOR MOPS Peter Ernest Foss, St. Peter Port,Guernsey, Channel Islands, and Alfred Henry Warner, Redhill, England,assiguors t Floor Cleaning Services Limited Filed Dec. 14, 1967, Ser.No. 690,538 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Dec. 14, 1966,56,005/ 66 Int. Cl. A471 13/59 US. Cl. 15262 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction memberhaving a surface upon which the absorbent head of a mop can bepositioned, a roller support structure pivoted about a pivot axisgenerally transverse to and spaced from the surface, a roller mounted onthe support structure for rotation about an axis generally parallel withthe said pivot axis and for bodily movement towards and away from thesaid pivot axis, and spring means between the support structure and theroller biasing the roller away from the said pivot axis.

This invention relates to mop wringing apparatus of the kind including aroller, a fixed reaction member having a surface upon which theabsorbent head of the mop can be positioned, and operating mechanismarranged to be actuated by an operating lever and when so actuated firstto move the roller from an inoperative position in which it is spacedfrom the surface of the reaction member, into an operative position inwhich, when the absorbent head is in position on the said surface, theroller presses the absorbent head against the surface, and then to rollthe roller, when in such operative position, across the surface of thereaction member and over the absorbent head to expel liquid from theabsorbent head.

One known construction of mop wringing apparatus of the kind referred toabove is described in the specification of the present applicantsBritish Patent No. 941,920. In this known construction the operatingmechanism comprises a series of links and arms interconnecting theoperating lever and the roller and while it is suitable for use whererelatively large areas of floor have to be cleaned, for example assemblyhalls, it is complicated and expensive and is not particularly suitablefor use where smaller areas of floor have to be cleaned. It is an objectof the present invention to provide mop wringing apparatus of the kindreferred to which will be simpler than that described in Patent No.941,920 and more particularly suitable for use where only relativelysmall areas of floor have to be cleaned.

Mop wringing apparatus according to the present invention comprises afixed reaction member having a surface upon which the absorbent head ofa mop can be positioned, a roller support structure pivoted about apivot axis generally transverse to and spaced from the surface, a rollermounted on the support structure for rotation about an axis generallyparallel with the said pivot axis and for bodily movement towards andaway from the said pivot axis, and spring means between the supportstructure and the roller biassing the roller away from the said pivotaxis, the support structure being pivotable about the said pivot axisfrom a first position in which the roller is spaced from the saidsurface through a second position in which it will contact a mop headlocated on the surface and thence to a third position beyond the secondposition, movement between the second and third positions serving tosqueeze a mop head located on the surface with movement of the rollertowards the pivot axis against the bias.

Preferably an operating lever is connected to the support structure andmovement of which causes pivotal movement of the support structure andconveniently slotted members are provided for guiding the pivotalmovement of the roller with respect to the pivotal axis. The supportstructure may include a bar rotatably supporting the roller, and thesupport structure is preferably mounted on a rod co-axial with thepivotal axis.

The slotted members may be formed by U-shaped members the arms of eachof which are connected to the bar supporting the roller and the bases ofwhich extend around the rod. The spring means are preferably in the formof compression springs extending between the bar and the rod andconveniently they are arranged around the U-shaped members.

The apparatus preferably includes a frame arranged to carry an opentopped receptacle disposed to collect the liquid expelled from theabsorbent head and preferably also a further open topped receptacle foruse as a container for water and/or detergent. In a preferredconstruction the frame is provided with wheels, which may be disposed onone side of the frame sothat the frame can be tilted to move it whilesupporting feet are provided on the opposite side to support the framein a stationary position. Further supporting feet may also be providedintermediate the sides of the frame and serving to support the apparatuson a stair or like ledge.

The rod is preferably supported in the frame in a readily detachablemanner and in which case the ends of the rod may be received in socketsin the frame. The sockets are preferably in the form of generallyU-shaped members the closed ends of which are arranged to receive theends of the rod. The U-shaped members may be arranged in an upwardlysloping position with the open ends uppermost and having the lower limbof the U longer than the upper limb so that the ends of the rod can beplaced on the lower limb and slid into position.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but onespecific embodiment will now be described by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of mop wringing apparatus according to theinvention; and

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 showing the operatingmechanism in its two extreme positions.

As shown in the figures the apparatus comprises a frame indicatedgenerally at 1 and provided with a pair of supporting wheels 2 mountedon axle 3. The frame comprises a base 4 which is approximatelyrectangular in plan and has two frame members in the form of uprights 5extending upwards from the rear corners of the base and two furtherframe members having parts 6 extending upwards from the front corners ofthe base, and parts 6A which extend below the base and are provided withfeet 7. Two further members 8A extend downwards from the sides of thebase and are each provided with similar feet 8 which are spaced from therear by a distance such that the apparatus can stand on almost allwidths of stair.

The upwardly extending parts 6 have rearwardly inclined upper portions10 which are connected at their upper ends to the uprights 5. Theuprights 5 are joined at their upper ends by a crossbar 11 retainingthem together. Connected between the upper parts of each of the members6, the members 10 and the upper part of the members 5 are side plates13, and extending between and rigidly supported by the rear part of theframe is a reaction member in the form of an imperforate plate indicatedat 14. Positioned adjacent the upper edge of the plate are a pair ofprojecting prongs which are so spaced horizontally from one another anddisposed as to engage two holes in the upper part of the back of a mop,indicated at 16 in FIGURE 2, the fringe 17 of which will then restagainst the reaction plate 14 as indicated.

The projecting prongs 15 are connected, as by welding, to the crossbar11 and have parts extending therethrough and which parts are providedwith screw threads arranged to be engaged by wing nuts 18 and whichserve to retain a detachable propelling handle 19 in position. Thehandle 19 is of generally cruciform shape with a cross member 20 whichwhen the handle is mounted on the frame abuts against the back of theplate 14 and which, and the member 11, is provided with two holesthrough which the threaded parts of the prongs 15 extend and areretained thereon by the wing nuts 18. The lower part of the handle ishollow and is arranged to fit over a boss 21 connected to a plate 22rigidly secured to the lower part of the reaction member which as shownat 23 slopes slightly inwardly.

The plates 13 have welded to them generally U-shaped strips which formslightly upwardly sloping sockets 24, the lower limbs 25 of which arelonger than the upper limbs 26. Retained in the sockets 24 is a rod 28forming the supporting member of the operating mechanism.

Extending around the rod 28 are the bases of two U-shaped members 30 theends of the arms of which are rigidly secured to a bar 31. The bar 31has flanges 32 extending from its ends in which a roller 33 is rotatablymounted. Arranged between the bar 31 and the rod 28 are compressionsprings 34 biassing the bar 31 away fro-m the rod 28, the springs beingarranged around the U-shaped members 30. Rigidly connected to the bar 31is an operating handle 35 by which the operating mechanism can beactuated so that the operating mechanism is moved from the positionshown in full lines in FIGURE 2 to the position shown in chain lines tosqueeze the water out of the mop.

Supported upon the base 4 of the frame is a rectangularly shapedcontainer 36 divided into two compartments 37 and 38 by a dividing wall40. The compartment 37 is intended to contain liquid into which a mopcan be dipped while the compartment 38 constitutes a receptacle forliquid expelled from the mop by the wringing mechanism. The compartment37 may include a perforated or imperforate inclined plate, as indicatedat 41 adjacent to the dividing wall to enable an operator to squeezesome of the liquid from the fringe of the mop in well known manner afterit has been dipped into the liquid in the container 37 and prior to afloor mopping operation or a wringing operation.

In use of the apparatus, a mop head which is to be wrung is suspendedfrom the prongs 15, the prongs engaging in the holes or eyes providedfor this purpose on the back of the mop head, i.e. on the rigid memberin which the tufts of the mop are anchored. The operating handle 35 isthen pulled rearward to swing the roller 33 from its first (orinoperative) position into a second position in which the roller 33engages the upper portions of the tufts, pressing them against thereaction plate 14. Continued movement of the operating handle thencauses the roller 33 and its support bar 31 to rotate to move the rollerdown over the tufts of the mop. The roller thus rolls down the tufts andpresses them resiliently against the imperforate reaction plate 14 tosqueeze the moisture from the tufts. This moisture runs down the face ofthe reaction plate into compartment 38. The springs 34 enable the rollerto accommodate variations in the thickness of the tufts.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure y Letters Pa ent 55:

1. A mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction member having animperforate surface upon which the absorbent head of a mop can bepositioned, a fixed horizontal rod defining a pivot axis generallyparallel to and spaced from the imperforate surface, a roller supportstructure mounted on the rod including slotted members and a bar, aroller mounted on the bar for rotation about an axis generally parallelwith said pivot axis, said slotted members permitting translatorymovement of the roller towards and away from said pivot axis andcomprising U-shaped members, the arms of each of the U-shaped membersbeing connected to the bar supporting the roller and the bases of theU-shaped members extending around the rod, and spring means urging theroller radially away from said pivot axis, the support structure beingpivotable about said pivot axis to move from a first position in whichthe roller is spaced from said imperforate surface into a secondposition in which it will engage a mop head located on the surface andthence to roll along the mop head pressing the mop head resilientlyagainst said imperforate surface so as to squeeze moisture from the mophead.

2. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which a manualoperating lever is connected to the support structure for actuatingpivotal movement of the support structure.

3. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said springmeans comprises compression springs extending between the bar and therod.

4. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the compressionsprings are arranged around the U-shaped members.

5. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a framearranged to carry an open topped receptacle disposed to collect theliquid expelled from the absorbent head.

6. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the frame isprovided with wheels which are disposed coaxially with each other at oneside of the frame so that the frame can be tilted to be supported on thewheels to move it, supporting feet being provided on the opposite sideof the frame to support the frame when stationary.

7. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 in which the frame hasfurther supporting feet which are disposed intermediate the wheels andthe first said supporting feet.

8. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which sockets areprovided in the frame and the ends of the rod are received in thesockets.

9. Mop wringing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 in which each of thesockets is in the form of a generally U-shaped member, the closed endsof which are arranged to receive the ends of the rod.

10. Mop wringing apparatus comprising a fixed reaction member having animperforate surface, means for positioning an absorbent mop head on saidsurface of said reaction member, a fixed horizontal rod defining a pivotaxis generally parallel to and spaced from the surface of said reactionmember, a support structure mounted on said rod and comprising a bar andU-shaped members having arms connected together by a base, the armsbeing connected to the bar and the bases extending around the rod, aroller mounted on the bar for rotation about an axis generally parallelwith said pivot axis and for translatory movement towards and away fromsaid first pivot axis, and spring means urging the roller radially awayfrom said pivot axis, the support structure being pivotable about saidpivot axis to move from a first position in which the roller is spacedfrom said imperforate surface into a second position in which it willengage a mop head located on the surface and thence to roll along themop head pressing the mop head resiliently against said perforatesurface so as to squeeze moisture from the mo head.

11. Mop wringing apparatus comprising a frame, a fixed reaction membermounted thereon having an imperforate surface, means for positioning anabsorbent mop head on said surface of said reaction member, a fixedhorizontal rod defining a pivot axis generally parallel to and spacedfrom the surface of said reaction member, U-shaped socket membersmounted on said frame for receiving the ends of said rod, a supportstructure mounted on said rod, a roller mounted on said supportstructure for rotation about an axis generally parallel with said pivotaxis and for translatory movement towards and away from said pivot axis,and spring means urging the roller radially away from said pivot axis,the support structure being pivotable about said pivot axis to move froma first position in which the roller is spaced from said imperforatesurface into a second position in which it will engage a mop headlocated on the surface and thence to roll along the mop head pressingthe mop head resiliently against said imperforate surface so as tosqueeze moisture from the mop head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,671 2/1908 Phillips 15--262921,207 5/1909 Davis 15-262 5 1,378,879 5/1921 Lawlor 15262 1,902,6883/1933 Cesario 15264 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 389,547 3/1933 Great Britain.418,864 11/1934 Great Britain. 941,920 11/1963 Great Britain.

US. Cl. X.R.

